The Lost Seas

Saga of the Mahindrazal

Paying the Levy 1 & 2

26

APR/12

Recorded by scholars studying the life of Vilsis.

It seems as if months have passed since the party first set off southeast from Tyr across the sand wastes. They had received information that Eenga, the remaining leader of the Red Chord, could be found in Altaruk. Having extensively weighed the pros and cons of purchasing mounts for the entire party to ride, they decided to purchase a single shiny kank to carry food and water, stocked up on survival days, bought breathing masks and goggles, and began their trek.

Travel through the sand wastes continued uneventfully for a couple of days, until the party found themselves in the midst of a massive sandstorm. Luckily, shelter was within sight – a squat structure amidst the dunes, with the name “Mahindrazal” written in Elven script on the wall. Along with a multitude of other travelers, the party led their kank into the stables and took shelter inside.

Soon after entering the crowded way station, the proprietor of the Mahindrazal, a woman named Zindriel, introduced herself.

Among the travelers within the Mahindrazal was a group of Red Chord slavers, including an elf clad in armor made from the chitin of a slain Thri-Kreen, marking him as a Thri-Kreen Slayer.

The party had a long conversation with Idi, a dwarven trader from House Inika of Gulg.

Over the course of several days, the sandstorm continues unabated. Beyond some entertainment gained by dunking the Red Chord rations in the shitter, the waiting is becoming a bit stale. More to the point, the Mahindrazal seems to be gradually emptying of guests, despite the fact that the sandstorm prevents anybody from leaving the premises. Stranger still, the party begins to notice that the ranks of the Mahindrazal’s (oddly silent) servant staff are expanding will oddly familiar faces.

On the morning of the third day in the Mahindrazal, the party notices that Idi has disappeared…but a new silent Dwarven servant has joined the staff.

After a oddly tense, but wordless interaction between Zindriel and Vilsis, the main hall of the Mahindrazal descended into chaos. A wave of psionic energy, seemingly emanating from Zindriel, washed over the room, laden with the bizarre suggestion that she was being attacked…by our party! Most of the remaining crowd seemed panicked beyond rationality by the blast, but the Red Chord sprung into action – offering to defend Zindriel by vanquishing our heroes.

Zindriel quickly exited through a side door and while most of the party engaged the Red Chord in the main hall, Vilsis rushed through exterior hallways in pursuit. Vilsis eventually returned downstairs, and informed his compatriots that our seemingly-gracious host was actually a power-mad villain who had manufactured the sandstorm to trap and ultimately enslave all of the Mahindrazal’s visitors.

Having defeated the Red Chord in the meantime, the party quickly rummaged for loot amidst the corpses before making their way upstairs to confront Zindriel.

Procuring a key from his sleeve, Vilsis attempted to unlock the door to Zindriel’s chambers, only to find them already unlocked. The party charged inside, where Vilsis was immediately consumed in the transparent, acidic mass of a gelatinous cube! While they party hacked away at the slimy, but highly geometrical beast, Zindriel mysteriously transformed her limbs into columns of sand bashing at our heroes and excreting waves of psionic pain. At one point, the party used their powers to knock the acidic cube straight into Zindriel, engulfing her and giving her a taste of her own medicine.

The party eventually prevailed, but had no time to celebrate their victory. The very structure of the Mahindrazal, seemingly sustained by Zindriel’s power, came crashing down. The party managed to claw their way out of the ruin, though many of their supplies were lost in the process. Luckily, Zuri managed to keep hold of the coin, even while his precious zatla was lost to the infernal sands.